As Hamas and the more moderate Fatah movement battled on the streets of Gaza, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah movement dissolved the government, which had been structured around a Fatah/Hamas power-sharing agreement. He has promised to create an emergency government.
Question is, is it good for the Jews, or bad for the Jews? Part of me believes that this is Israel’s (and the neocons’) dream come true—Palestinians destroying each other so Israel doesn’t have to bother. It couldn’t have been hard to see as Israel issued call after call for Arafat and then Abbas to rein Hamas in that eventually something like this would happen. On the other hand, it was also predictable that Hamas—you know, the more radical and better-armed group—would quickly gain the upper hand. The group has conquered nearly the entire Gaza strip. Having Hamas in power is a serious gamble for Israel (or at least Israelis), if this was the country’s plan. One thing is for sure: This isn’t good for the Palestinians, and it may well lead to a further increase in terrorism worldwide, already up since Bush invaded Iraq.
Guys, this is why you don’t wage elective wars in the world’s most conflict-ridden region—certainly not while depriving an angry group of its basic necessities because you don’t like the results of a democratic election and then turning a blind eye to the consequences.
